DEDICATED TO BRINGING GLORY TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

COLLEGE LAKES BAPTIST CHURCH

4704 Ramsey Street
Fayetteville, North Carolina 28311-1615
Church Office 910-488-8344
Church Cell Phone 910-658-3475

church@collegelakeschurch.org
R E T U R N S ERVICE R EQUESTED

T HE
C OLLEGE L AKES

Challenger

News From College Lakes Church

A Message from Reverend Lanier. . .

Let Us Never Forget

Remembering Those Who Paid the
Ultimate Price
by Dr. Paul Chappell

Im thankful for Memorial Day. First, Im

thankful for the unspeakably precious
sacrifices men and women have made for
our freedom. Second, Im thankful that
we have set aside a day to honor and
commemorate these sacrifices. We so
easily forget what is truly important in
lifeespecially that which others have
given us.
The history of the nation of Israel through
the time of judges reveals that its not just
Americans who have a foggy memory.
Time and again, Israel forgot her God.
Israels history is rich with miracles of
Gods deliveranceand its replete with
the miseries of her national spiritual
forgetfulness. Judges 8:34 records, And
the children of Israel remembered not the
Lord their God, who had delivered them

May 29, 2014

out of the hands of all their enemies on

every side.
Israels history should serve as a memorial
to us of what happens when nations forget
Godtheir forgetfulness stages their
national downfall.
Our American history, too, is rich in
leaders who knew the Lord and whose
hearts desire was to establish and maintain
a nation in which the Gospel of Christ
could be freely propagated. They
recognized that at the heart of the need for
freedom is a need for every person to have
the liberty to know and worship God.
Many of these leaders sealed their desire
for this sort of freedom with their blood,
sweat, and tears as they served in military
capacities.
Ronald Reagan said of George
Washington, The image of George
Washington kneeling in prayer in the snow
is one of the most famous in American
history. He personified a people who knew
it was not enough to depend on their own
courage and goodness; they must also seek

2 New s From College Lakes Church

help from
Preserver.

God,

their

Father

and

May we as Americans never forget the

true heroes of our country. American
children know the names of sports and
entertainment stars, but they know little of
those who have bled, died, and suffered
for our freedom. Our values have become
so warped that we memorialize the
insignificant heroes in place of the true
heroes.
May we never forget the God who has
made and preserved us a nation. Even
as Israel repeatedly forgot the God who
created her nation, preserved her heritage,
and delivered her from invaders, Im
concerned that our nation is forgetting
God as wellsystematically removing the
name of Christ from public sectors.
So how can we preserve our freedoms?
Here are four ways to remember our God:
1. We Must Teach Our Children the
Greatness of God
Deuteronomy 6:7 says, And thou shalt
teach them diligently unto thy children,
and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in
thine house, and when thou walkest by the
way, and when thou liest down, and when
thou risest up. If we do not teach our
children the greatness of God at home and
at church, they will not learn it through
the media or society at large.
2. We Must Memorialize the Miracles
of God
Memorials designate honor and
importance. For instance, the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial in Washington DC
honors the sacrifices of those who have
given their lives for our freedom. It tells
succeeding generations that this is
important to us. The names etched into the
stone walls make you proud to be an
American. Even so, we need to
memorialize the things God has done for
us. In years to come, I want my
grandchildren see what God has done in

May 29, 2014

and through my life and say My grandpa

served a great God! I want God to do the
same for me.
3. We Must Follow the Word of God
Our natural tendency is to live according to
the dictates of our own wills. Yet God has
given us clear commands in His Word that
should govern and shape our lives, and He
has given us principles that should direct
our choices. Especially in the selection of
government officials, we must remember
to vote according to biblical principle if we
want our nation to remember God.
4. We Must Keep Our Vows to God
Ecclesiastes 5:4 emphasizes the importance
of our vows to God: When thou vowest a
vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he
hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which
thou hast vowed. If every Christian
American fulfilled the vows they have
already made to God, wed have revival.
We prove that our God is important to us
when we remember and keep the promises
we have made to Him.
As Christians, and as Americans, may we
never forget our God. May we lift up the
name of Christ and continually remember
our Godon Memorial Day and every
day.

Ushers for June 1

A.M. Jerry Adams
Michael Williams
John Johnson
John Hughes
Billy Tyson
Sonny Alvarez
P.M. Ken Triplett
Church Updates
New handrail in front of the church and
new tract rack in foyer.
Thank You
Faithfully giving to the Lord reaps
eternal Blessings.